Once upon a time, there was a Mother Camel and her little Calf who lived in a zoo. They were basking in the hot sun one afternoon and out of the blue, the Calf sprung up to his feet. “Mother, do you have some time? Can I ask you some questions?”, asked the inquisitive Calf. “Obviously you can, my child,” answered Mother Camel.
The little Calf inquired, “Mother, why do I have a thick rough padding on my feet? Why do I have two toes? I took a peek at the elephants next to us and they do not appear to have them.”
Mother Camel replied, “My child, we camels originated from the desert where the terrain is mostly sand or rocky soil. Our toes have hard nails that spread and level as we put our weight on them. This prevents us from sinking into the loose and constantly shifting sand. The thick protective padding that we have provides us with a barrier against the hot desert sands and protect us against being burnt as we walk.”
The little Calf fired off his next question, “Mother, why do we have these long and curly eyelashes? I see the elephants do not have them.”
Mother Camel replied, “My child, we camels come from the desert where there are plenty of sandstorms. These long and curly eyelashes protect our eyes by keeping the sand out.”
The little Calf immediate asked his next question, “Mother, why do we have humps on our back? The elephants do not have any on their backs.”
Mother Camel responded, “My child, the desert is one of the harshest environments where the sun is scorching hot during daytime and nighttime can be freezing cold. Water and food are scarce. Our hump stores fats and when we cannot find any food and water for days, these fats provide us with the energy to survive.”
The Calf paused for a moment, and then expressed his thoughts, “I understand now. My feet are intended for me to walk on the loose and blistering desert sand. My eyelashes shield me from the sandstorms in the desert. And my hump prevents starvation in the harsh desert conditions. But Mother, why the heck are we doing here in this Zoo!?”
The Bottom Line
Our skills and aptitudes are only useful and handy if we are in the right places. Think about what you are excellent in and find work that can match your abilities and bring out the best in you – when you focus on your strengths, you will excel.
